


Sugar Skags LLC

by scp116



Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Anal Sex, Angst and Porn, Biting, Body Worship, Breeding, Breeding Kink, Cuddling & Snuggling, Happy Ending, Knotting, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Scar Worship, Sex Work, Sex Worker Rhys (Borderlands), Touch-Starved
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-18 05:00:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29604216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scp116/pseuds/scp116
Summary: As bad as a rut is, it's always worse alone. Jack's most recent beau left him a garish business card, advertising rut assistance to the lonely alphas of Helios-Too bad for Jack, he simply doesn't need it, of course.
Relationships: Handsome Jack/Rhys (Borderlands)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 90





	Sugar Skags LLC

Jack sniffed hard, leaning his head back, arms crossed as he glared at the ceiling with a snarl. His instincts clawed at him, screaming to get _out_ of this stupid office, find someone pretty, rip their clothes off, fuck them stupid and stay for the night. Ease into the sweet comforts he craved, the vices he needed more than air. When he was a young gun at Hyperion, killing his way to the top and wasting his time with Moxxi, he'd sworn off relationships. Not ass, if he'd sworn off ass he wouldn't be Jack anymore. He did the flowers, the roses, hanging himself over Moxxi's bar top for weeks on end, vying for a pretty omega's attention at the cost of his own damn dignity. His glowering paused for a moment to laugh at his old self, before his laugh melted into a weak sob as he banged his head on the desk.

Either way, he'd sworn off actual relationships a long time ago. Too many interrupted courtings to keep saving face upon rejection. Too much of pouring emotions into gestures that wouldn't go anywhere. It hurt, especially after the death of his first mate. But what didn't hurt anymore was just accepting that it was a useless effort. But now, he thought, looking around his empty office as a rut crawled into his blood, it would have been _nice_ to have some sweet omega sitting in his lap and soothing his chills. Pressing kisses up the line of his neck, along his jawline, humming in his ear to set him at ease. Even Moxxi's thick cloud of perfume and pheromones would have been nice, as much as it twisted his stomach to think that someone who hurt him so bad could still comfort him.

Slamming his fist on the desk, he stood to unbuckle his belt, pulling it out of his pants and wrapping it tight around his hand as he closed his eyes for a long moment, muscles tensing before dropping it to the ground. Undoing his pants and pulling his half-hard cock out of his underwear, he fell back down onto the chair and started jerking himself off. Masturbating alone in his office was never satisfying, never what he needed, but it was usually a little better when his entire body wasn't tensed and ready to fight. This wasn't going to be fun, he knew, working himself through a quick, messy orgasm when he had a meeting in ten minutes- but the thought of going without release was the worst thing he could think of in the moment. Well, coming in a close second to the thought of that stupid alpha at the head of R&D striding into his office in that moment, all obnoxious and scenting all over _his_ space. He growled deep at the thought, choking the head of his cock in his fist. He couldn't think of anything but protecting his territory and getting off- if he even picked an omega to daydream about, he'd space out for the hour and get _nothing_ done.

Working himself through a rough orgasm, his throat tensed around a shriek as he clenched his teeth. He squeezed his eyes shut with a sneer before turning his face to scream into the backrest of his chair. Whining pitifully, he massaged his aching knot as well as he could, knowing it wouldn't ever compare to the pressure of an omega tensing around his cock- but it would help convince his body, at least. Looking down at the cum splattered on his desk, he scoffed in disgust at himself, pulling his clothes back into place and pulling a tissue out of his top drawer to wipe the mess away. Swearing off relationships was a great idea, until it meant bearing the headache of going through a rut alone. His head pounded, lungs shredded to ribbons between each breath as his body cried out for a mate. _A mate it won't get_ , he told himself, straightening as his head whipped around to confirm the office was presentable.

As the door to his office clicked open with a whir, he couldn't wipe the look of distain off his face. If he was in full blown rut, he would have launched across the table to rip the man to pieces, beat him to a bloody pulp against the carpet- but he suppressed the urge with a tight smile and crossed his arms for a miserable meeting.

-

Kicking off his shoes at the door of his bedroom, he grimaced as he shouldered off his clothing to the floor. An hour of sitting in front of that asshole, the smell making his stomach turn as he forced a diplomatic smile, he was unsure if he was about to puke or pass out in his pillows and sheets. He couldn't even bring himself to fight it, aggression worn out from the exhaustion. He wrapped his arms around himself, rubbing and plucking at the edges of his undershirt.

Collapsing into the bed, he twisted uncomfortably against the clean sheets, shuddering and burrowing in. He reached up to grab and claw at the bed, tugging a corner of the sheets off with a groan. He pulled his pillow up to cover his face, rubbing it all over his neck and chest to scent a nonexistent omega. Unlike real omegas, the pillow he clutched to himself didn't smell happy and sugary- but it also didn't squirm and complain about needing to breathe when he held it too tight. He could maybe almost convince himself this was better- sure, it didn't nuzzle him back, but he also wouldn't be worrying about it's approval of his den. Yeah, he could make this work. He didn't need an omega.

Nisha had sighed and shook her head when he broke it off. It had been his first experience dating another alpha, and while it wasn't so bad, scent compatibility was still important- something they just didn't have. No matter how much he liked her, he couldn't stop himself from turning away when she tried to scent him. It just wouldn't have worked, no matter how much he tried to force himself to accept it. When he finally got the right moment to break it off, she just shook her head and reached up to grab his shoulder.  
“Yeah, I figured this was coming. Hope I didn't sour you to other alphas, Jack.”  
“Aw, you know that's not it, Nish. It's not your fault you smell like sulfur.”

She'd laughed at that, tucking a hand into her jacket pocket. At first he thought she was trying to catch a whiff of herself, confirm that she smelled fine, but she pulled something out. A small business card, it looked like, white and hot pink with a loopy cursive font advertising...  
“Seriously, Nish? You think I need an omega for hire?”  
“It's an option, Jack. I know how long it's been since you've seen an omega.” Jack shook his head, eyes rolling as he took the card and tucked it into his pocket.  
“I'll be sure to tell them you sent me. Do you get a discount if I mention your name, or what? Is this some kind of referral program?”

“Oh, shove it.” She reached up to his face, pulled him in for a last, searing kiss, and left. That had been his last relationship.

He rolled over painfully and tugged his bedside drawer open, fumbling his hand around to feel for the card when he pulled it out and held it up to his face. He'd discarded his glasses when he got home, throwing them on the couch and rushing to his den to hide from the world. The text was blurry, and the cursive certainly wasn't helping, but he managed to make out “Sugar Skags LLC”. Not a very sexy name in his opinion, but if they were still in business, he supposed it didn't matter all _that_ much. Thankfully, the echo number was easier to read, as he stared at it blankly, zoning out. He was above hiring an omega for sex. It wasn't such a bad thing to hire someone from an agency just for help through a rut- plenty of unbonded alphas got in the habit of turning to agencies for help through their ruts. But the thought of fucking some random omega just...didn't feel right, to him.

He grumbled and buried his face into the pillow again, whining. Alphas really don't whine much, not unless they're..desperate, he thought with a groan. He pulled his echo off his hip and punched in the number, setting it beside his head with a grumble. It was a pain to even pull his face out of the pillow to talk properly, but his urge to get this over with outweighed his desire to keep courting the pillow.

A low, calm voice answered the phone. A beta, from the sound of it.  
“Sugar Skags, now on Helios. How can I help you, sugar?” Jack growled at the voice, turning back into the pillow before forcing himself to look up.  
“You do, eh...rut support?”  
“Sure do. You need an omega or a beta?”  
“Omega.” He sputtered out, sighing and curling in on himself to soothe his malaise. “Please.”  
“Sure thing, sugar. You a first time customer?” He grunted in affirmative. “And when are you expecting your rut?”  
“Two hours ago.”

The voice didn't respond for a while, just breathing on the other end.  
“Sir, we usually require a screening and initial meeting prior to the actual rut-”  
“I'll triple your usual rates and throw an extra thousand on top if you can get someone here in the next forty minutes.” They went quiet again, papers shuffling around quietly.  
“Understood.”

-

The doorbell rang thirty minutes later. Jack didn't have the energy to get up and unlock the door, electing to instead fumble with the buttons at his bedside designed to connect with the intercom. A sweet, vaguely confused voice hit his ears, riling his instincts to get the person behind the voice closer to him.  
“Erm...hello? I'm with Sugar Skags. I have the NDA's you sent filled out and prepared, I wasn't given a code to get insi-” The door swung open when Jack hit the yellow button beside the speaker, Jack not being coherent enough to warn the omega before a door smacked them in the face. From the sounds of it, they managed to dodge. Jack couldn't determine much of the omega's gender, hadn't really tried. He thought they'd asked him if he'd prefer a man or a woman, but he truly didn't remember his answer. Whoever it was, they were coming up the stairs now, he could hear their cautious footfalls on the hardwood.

A younger looking man stepped into his room, eyeing the walls habitually. Fear hit Jack before the craving, nervous about inviting an unfamiliar omega into his den, anxious that he'd reject what he saw and leave Jack to panic and frantically rearrange his belongings until it appealed to the younger man. The omega wouldn't do that, Jack knew, it was his job to stay here and accept whatever he saw. But regardless of his job, he _knew_ the omega had instincts telling him something about his den, good or bad. There was no way he didn't have an opinion, and per the terms of his contract, he would never be able to be honest about it. What if he left anyways? Cast his job aside and ran, too disgusted by Jack and his den to stay a second longer? The thought coiled in his gut, weighing him into the bed as he stared, wide eyed at...

...mismatched eyes, just like his own. One looked cybernetic from what he saw, probably Hyperion issue, since they'd long cornered the market on prosthetics. Even synthetic, meeting the man's eyes slowly returned his breathing to normal, the presence of a sweet smelling omega starting to relax him instead of stoking the initial anxiety. It had been a few seconds since he stepped in, and he hadn't made a break for the exit yet. He didn't smell scared, or displeased in the slightest...just calm.

The omega broke the stretch of silence.  
“Handsome Jack...?” Jack nodded, holding his pillow up to cover his mouth, not trusting himself to speak. His eyes were wide and pleading, trying to coerce the omega closer with soft growls buried into the memory foam.  
“Would you like to know my name? You can call me whatever you want- I'll respond to that too.” Of course. These companies were popular for a reason, usually for people who's partners were out of town or...gone. It might have been comforting, right after Angel's mother died, to hold an omega during his next rut and call them by her name. He hadn't had one for the next few years after her death, anyways- his mind hurting too much to let his body relax enough for a rut.

Jack eventually nodded, still staring intensely, the omega not cowering under his gaze as they usually did. He just smiled at Jack, gentle and familiar in a way he couldn't pin down.  
“I'm Rhys. But again- I'll respond to whatever.” Jack nodded and outstretched a hand, reaching for the omega- _Rhys_. He felt like a child, grasping at air for someone who was a good eight feet away, but it was all he could do. His growl hitched in his throat, silencing for a moment in case it would appeal to Rhys more- but he didn't move closer. Just stepped inside and shut the door behind him, leaning on it with his hands behind his back. He was tall, Jack realized, a bit taller than himself- with mile long legs he wanted to bite a trail right up. Why wasn't he coming closer, he thought? Wasn't it his job to be close and comforting and not _across the room_ , teasing Jack with his presence and scent?

“I need to talk consent before we start. You're still at the beginning of this, right? It's only been a few hours since you felt it?” Jack nodded into the pillow again, rubbing his cheek on the silk pillowcase since Rhys wanted to stay over there and talk bureaucracy instead of soothing the burn in Jack's chest. He was more than happy to ignore the boring questions, just keep scenting his pillow until Rhys either came over or left, because having his scent in the room without his touch was worse than doing this alone.

Jack jerked his head up out of the pillow to look up at Rhys, who had approached him while his eyes were shut, and started gently rubbing across his back and shoulder. He was burning- on fire, nearly consumed by flames, and this omega was the only thing that could put him out. Rhys' touch was cool, baptizing Jack in the younger man's presence and scent- but it was barely enough. Rhys' hand came all the way up to his cheek, stroking his thumb over the indented scar. Jack panicked for a second, realizing all at once that his mask was _off_ in front of a new person. An omega, nonetheless. Rhys started purring softly, kneeling by the bed and running a hand up into Jack's hair. He felt like a wild animal, Rhys cautiously approaching, calming him and trying to convince Jack to trust him. If it wasn't working before, the purr gave him no choice but to relax.

“...yeah. Three hours.” Rhys nodded at that, running his trimmed nails down the length of Jack's side before back up to his scalp. The growling resumed, Jack too far gone to even notice.  
“Then I can still ask. Knowing I'm on birth control, are you comfortable knotting me?” Jack looked at Rhys with bleary eyes, fighting to stay awake and alert. He should have said no, having no confirmation Rhys was telling the truth, but as much as Jack didn't need an heir to Hyperion, he nodded. “Have you ever bonded before?” Jack nodded again, pushing his thoughts of Angel's mother aside. This wasn't the time to think about her, he knew that. This was the time to focus on the pretty omega in front of him, who was pressing two fingers to the side of Jack's chin to tilt his head and expose his scarred neck. “Okay. It should be safe to take this off, since you're not going to want to bond me so bad-” He reached up to undo a collar of some sort, Jack hadn't even noticed it there- too busy panicking and trying to get a read off of the omega. It had covered his scent glands it seemed, a new wave of scent hitting Jack hard.

Rhys set the thing on the nightstand and crawled up onto the bed from the floor, pressing on Jack's shoulder to roll him onto his back. Hesitantly reaching for the pillow Jack held in a vice grip, he slowly coerced the alpha to let him take it and set it aside, leaving Jack exposed, his anxiety spiking. Rhys snuggled up beside him, hand on the back of Jack's head, pressing his nose into Rhys' neck, Jack feeling himself calm at the contact. He inhaled hard, arms wrapping around Rhys' hips to pull him closer, one hand pressing on the younger man's back. One he was comfortable, he felt the omega start to relax against him, hands coming to rest in Jack's hair as he continued to take deep breaths from Rhys' neck. They sat like that for a bit, Rhys playing with his hair and purring.

“If you've calmed down, we just have to talk about what you...” Rhys was cut off by what he thought was a sharp growl, before realizing it was...a snore. Jack had fallen asleep in the crook of his neck. It took all of him not to laugh, having never experienced anything like this before- usually, when an alpha in rut finally gets access to a compatible omega, the first thing they do isn't _fall asleep_. Rhys had downed a pharmacy's worth of muscle relaxers just before he arrived, just in case he couldn't produce enough slick to get the job done, but that apparently wouldn't be necessary for a while. As unexpected as it was, he didn't mind- Jack was pretty comfortable to cozy up with. He smelled like...salt, and gunpowder- something that shouldn't have been appealing in the slightest. Giggling softly, he whispered to himself, “I guess you'll get knotted later, then.” before the purring resumed.

-

Rhys eventually dozed off beside Jack, their chests rising and falling in rhythm as they got comfortable. He woke up to Jack absently kissing and mouthing at his neck, eyes still shut, growling low in his chest as he dragged his teeth up to Rhys' ear. The teeth made him anxious, afraid to get bonded by _another customer_ who didn't listen to his rules.

Jack paused, the honey-sweet omega starting to smell acidic with fear, before easing off the teeth and continuing with just soft lips and tongue.  
“We didn't talk about your boundaries-” Rhys started before Jack cut him off, hand flying up to cover Rhys' mouth as he growled. The questions amounted to nothing more than a pain in Jack's ass, an inconvenience standing in the way of his descent into lust. Rhys just smiled into his hand, reaching up to take it and kissing the scarred back. Jack felt Rhys squirm a bit under his weight before settling in again, pushing the back of Jack's head further into his sweet smelling neck.

Jack inhaled, sighing as Rhys' calm scent into his burning lungs. Rhys was so cold- like he'd been left out in the winter before settling into Jack's arms, there to cool him off and demand his full attention. No wonder he was in this line of work, Jack thought. Naturally cold and sweet smelling, and so easy to hold. Probably fertile too, he thought, taking another deep breath.  
“Can I...can I scent you?” Jack's voice was quiet and shaking, the longest sentence he'd said since Rhys stepped into the room. Those few words alone seemed to drain the energy he had as he curled into himself, turning his face away into the bed and bracing for rejection.  
“Yeah, that's alright.” Jack turned back to Rhys' neck, nuzzling up against his throat and growling with a soft smile.

As Jack's growl got lower and louder, Rhys started to shift- feeling himself get slick at the sound of an aggressive alpha _right_ at his neck. Jack had eased off the teeth, sensing Rhys' discomfort, but his tongue still laved over his scent glands, making Rhys uncomfortably hard for the older man. Whimpering softly at Jack, he twisted around to face away, scooting back to press his ass into Jack's erection. It hadn't gone down since Rhys got there, not even as they slept, still painful and uncomfortable as Rhys pushed back into it. Rhys was starting to drip through the yoga pants he'd worn- if he could feel it, surely Jack could feel it seeping onto his boxers. Rhys had been embarrassed the first few times it happened on the job, but most alphas seemed _more_ than alright with it. Enticed even, once they got a taste.

Jack grumbled for a moment as he was forced to pull back, breathing in only a second of fresh air before it was knocked out of him with their new position.

Slowly, without startling or catching him off guard, Rhys started twisting his hips back, reaching up to hold the back of Jack's head into his neck as he started grinding. It wasn't exactly common for Rhys to have to coax alphas into sex, but maybe Jack just had...performance anxieties, he supposed. It didn't seem likely, that the great and powerful Handsome Jack would hesitate to fuck a willing omega, but anything was possible, Rhys thought. There was a good chance he'd cave before long anyways, unless he just bought Rhys' time to cuddle him for a week. That would have been a first.

Jack inhaled sharply at the new movement, one hand coming down to rest on Rhys' hip. He pushed forward gently, seeking friction more than anything else. It had been years since he'd _genuinely_ considered humping an omega's leg to get off, but Rhys didn't seem to be discouraging it. He'd reached up to put his hand on Jack's forearm wrapped around his waist, seemingly encouraging him closer, pushing him to do whatever he needed to do. The thought made Jack tremble and lick a long stripe up Rhys' neck, reaching to push his boxers down as Rhys pulled away. Jack paused, thumb hooked into his waistband, about to kick his boxers off, looking bewildered up at Rhys. Had he done something wrong? Had he offended the younger man somehow, pushed him to leave before he could even do his job?

Rhys pushed Jack to lie on his back, before pulling his pants off and climbing up to straddle Jack's hips. He wasn't wearing anything under the yoga pants, used to them just getting in the way, part of why he leaked through so fast. He reached behind himself to grab the hem of Jack's boxers, tugging them down until they rested around his knees, Jack quickly kicking them off to the foot of the bed. Rhys started gently rocking back and forth, slick running down Jack's cock as it teased at his ass. He'd move his hips up to Jack's treasure trail then back again, coating the area in slick, line up for Jack to push inside- then go back to grinding his cock on Jack's stomach.

Rhys wouldn't sink down himself, waiting for Jack to take control and fuck him. As he continued his routine and kept pulling off at the last second, his hands started running up and down Jack's chest.  
“I can't do it, Jack. You have to.” Jack turned away and squeezed his eyes shut, gritting his teeth and covering his face with one hand.  
“I...I don't know if I can, kitten-” Rhys had heard a lot about Jack. Considered himself a fan, even- having kept posters of Jack's likeness on his walls for years before he even started working on Helios. The man's power, influence, and appearance alone was enough to impress and terrify Rhys- but looking down at him now, he didn't see it. The image Jack had built for himself over the years. He didn't see power, strength, anger. He just saw a distressed alpha who needed a release, but refused to chase it, for reasons unknown. Lord even knew how long it had been since Jack had been with an omega. Maybe not since the infamous first wife, name redacted from everything Jack could touch.

Jack growled, grabbing Rhys' hips, but making no move to fuck him. “Don't you look at me like that, omega. Don't you fucking pity me.” His hands were rough and calloused, one reaching down to take a handful of Rhys' ass. “I'm not some broken old man.”

Rhys wasn't sure where the burst of energy came from- maybe anger, or just getting defensive. He laid his hand to rest on Jack's, stroking his thumb over the scars on the back of his hand. “I'm not pitying you. It's been a while, hasn't it?” Jack stared up with his lip curled. “Since you've had an omega to calm you down?” Jack's expression softened, the creases in his forehead smoothing as he slowly looked away to the window. “I know you've been seen with alphas. And I know you weren't compatible. You need this release, Jack. You know you want to take control.” His hand slid down Jack's chest, down his wet stomach, to squeeze the cock teasing at his entrance. “Does it hurt?”

Jack bit his lip hard and nodded, face twisting up in discomfort. It was hard for Rhys to not take Jack's hesitation as rejection, especially hard to convince his own instincts that the alpha below him really did like him, to some degree. Either way, Jack's hesitation nagged at the back of his mind, forcing Rhys to push down the thought of sinking onto him and riding until his knot swelled and Jack couldn't leave if he wanted to, anyways. His thoughts were interrupted when Jack startled him with a sharp tug on his hips- as encouraging as he'd tried to be, the pull startled him, made him withdraw just a bit.

Jack feeling the soft body under his hands try to get away, try to _escape_ him, was the last push he needed. He reached up to grab Rhys by the shoulders, pulling him down to rest on Jack's chest as he pushed his cock inside Rhys' slicked hole. Despite Rhys starting to squirm as he adjusted to the size, Jack didn't let go- just kept a firm grip, holding Rhys close until he stopped writhing, stopped the soft whines and slowly started to purr again. That was all the confirmation he needed to start bucking his hips, feeling Rhys up and down as he picked up the pace. Their scents mixing and flooding the room only spurred him on as he scented the smaller man, groaning as his back arched off the bed.

Once he had the confidence, Jack _delivered_. Every thrust rocked Rhys into the headboard, clutching onto Jack's broad shoulders as his nails dug in. He kissed gently at Jack's neck, nibbling at the nape of his neck and licking over his scent glands. More swollen than they should be, he noted, before the thought was knocked out of him. Rhys whimpered at the growling, clenching hard around Jack's cock as he felt the knot start to swell. Only a few minutes in and Jack was already so thick, three inches around at _least_ , Rhys thought. God knew how much bigger he would get as he came.

“G-Good...” Rhys choked out, breathing heavily in between thrusts. “So-so good, Jack...” The purring hitched into a choked moan, arms coming up under Jack's shoulders as he bit his lip. Rhys whined as the knot started catching on his abused rim, but Jack didn't slow down for his sake- just kept thrusting, arms wrapping around Rhys' torso as he started to shudder. Growling low in his chest as Rhys nibbled over his faded bonding scar, one hand coming up to grip Rhys' hair, he briefly thought to thank Nisha for her suggestion.

Rhys came first with a moan into Jack's ear, cum squirting between them, wetting Jack's stomach even further. Their skin slicked together, disgusting noises filling their ears as the thick knot started to restrict them, trapping Jack inside Rhys. He was so close, so _fucking_ close, and all he could do was rut helplessly into Rhys' ass, the inch of leeway hardly enough friction to finish him off- until Rhys bit a little harder, right under his jawline. That's what sent him over the edge, filling Rhys to the brim when his knot finally reached it's full size and locked them together.

Rhys almost cried when it was over, overstimulation and the heady scent of an enamored alpha driving him over the edge. The stretch consumed him, almost seven inches around, he thought, before slowly easing into Jack's chest. He didn't know how long Jack had been stroking absently up and down his side, fingertips skating along his ribcage, but once he recognized it, he eased into the touch steadily. Jack's hands were comforting, more than most of the alphas he'd serviced over the past few months, it felt less...entitled. It was for his comfort, or at least playing at letting Rhys think it was.

It took Jack a while to come to his senses. As Rhys sat there, thinking and squirming gently to get comfortable, he'd been nearly passed out beneath him. Not surprising in the slightest- ruts were exhausting, and if Rhys had really appeared a full three hours into his rut, he must have been completely wiped by now.

When Jack finally did shake out of the haze, Rhys was quietly messing with Jack's hair, twirling it and tucking it behind his ear where it was long enough. Jack found it hard to stop him, or voice any protest at all- he wasn't about to start a fight with an omega who'd been kind enough to ease his pain. It was hellish, to be in a rut without a mate- and now that he had one, even just a stand in, he wasn't sure how he'd ever gone without. Without the touches, the smell filling his room and clouding his mind, the gentleness only an omega would ever give him. It was senseless, he thought, to ever have to go without again.

But he knew, once this week was over, he would. He would talk some sense into himself, remember the heartbreak, and get over the longing. It had been years, but one day, it might actually happen. One day, he might actually be able to rest alone, without quietly craving a sweeter life he didn't need in the slightest.

He didn't need it.

Rhys blew softly onto his neck as Jack started to shift underneath him, giggling and purring in his ear. While Jack was trying to convince himself to live without, he thought, there was no shame in indulging just this once before swearing off omegas for good. What did he need them for, anyways? Sex was something he could get from any beta or alpha around, except they didn't have a tendency to break his heart at the end of the night.

Twisting his hips to test the knot, Rhys sat up, tugging quietly before lying back down on Jack's chest.  
"We'll still have a while before we can separate. How are you feeling?" Jack shrugged, arms falling around Rhys' torso as he turned to look out the window. He didn't seem fully there, quite yet.  
"Uh...better, I guess."  
Rhys smiled down at him. "Good. Is there anything more I can be doing?" He ran a finger down Jack's chest, resting the hand on his hip as the older man thought.

"No." Jack mumbled, turning his face into the pillow before pulling Rhys closer to his chest. “S'just fine.”

-

Rhys leaned in to poke him awake, around 10am the day after he arrived. Jack had slept soundly through the night, exhausted from hours of an uneasy rut before Rhys arrived. He'd been burning up when Rhys got there, almost worrying him enough to find a cold drink before fucking him- he probably should have, now that he thought about it, but Jack's chest was still rising and falling beneath him. The knot had gone down in their sleep, probably hours ago, cum leaking out as he slowly lifted off Jack's lap. The emptiness bothered him just a bit, but not enough to stay, with the older man's seed quickly cooling on his thighs.

He slowly crawled off the bed and stood, peeking around to look at his backside still covered in fluids he didn't want to examine too close. The room smelled like the two of them- like the sheets they'd fucked on. Jack hadn't woken up yet, still nude on top of the bed, when Rhys dipped into the master bathroom in search of a washcloth. He found it in a cupboard above the toilet, wetting it with cool water and cleaning himself off the best he could. He swiped some stray drops off his shoulder, a little too close to his cybernetics for his liking, but it didn't bother him too much. Most likely because the scent of a pleased alpha was still calming him, the muscle memory of Jack's knot still easing his worries. Rhys didn't think he could be concerned about anything in that moment, if he was honest- only wanting to get clean and crawl back into bed. Rinsing the cloth, he took it with him as he returned to the bed, settling beside Jack and running it over his stomach.

The cool water startled Jack awake, his eyes wide and dilated until they settled on Rhys. Rhys smiled gently and kept running the cloth over his stomach, swiping away dried slick and the bit of cum that got on his chest.  
“I hope you don't mind. I don't think you'll want to shower anytime soon, but I don't think you want to be covered in...fluids for the whole week, either.” Rhys chirped, smiling softly. Jack squinted, rubbing his eyes, but making no move to stop the younger man from cleaning him up. The realization came in waves that he was touching his bare skin, having removed his mask once he got home- meaning the omega in front of him didn't have such a pretty sight to look at.  
“Ah, shit...”  
Rhys cocked an eyebrow, tilting his head forward at Jack. “Problem?”

Jack sneered, sitting up and looking over to his nightstand to see the business card Nisha had given him, sitting right there beside his echo.  
“You're from, ah...” He picked it up, turning it over. “...Sugar Skags, right?” Rhys nodded, standing and swaying back to the bathroom to wring out the washcloth before dumping it in the laundry basket beside the door. He wiped his hands on a towel by the sink before coming back, sitting beside Jack with a sweet smile.  
“That's me.”  
“And I...I called you during my rut, didn't I?”

Rhys raised an eyebrow, rubbing his arms. “You did. Said you needed someone urgently.” Jack looked down and rubbed his temples, taking a deep breath.  
“Shit. I don't...need an omega for my rut, okay? So...you can get going.”  
“At this point, I can't. It'll be too detrimental to you if I leave now.” Rhys said, shaking his head slowly.  
“I feel _fine_.”  
“You're in between bouts of rut, Jack. It's going to hit you hard again in a bit now that you're up.”

Jack swore under his breath and looked down to the carpeted floor, fingers digging into the bed. The omega was probably right. Rhys, he remembered vaguely. He smelled familiar, probably just from the night before.

“Really, Rhys. I'll be fine. I don't need some omega for hire to get through this.”  
“You didn't seem to think so last night.” Jack huffed at that, turning to look out the window at the view of Elpis. It shone a vague purple haze over the room, casting over Rhys' pale skin and shining across what looked like siren tattoos. He couldn't have been a siren to Jack's knowledge, or at least, the chances were low- but it was pretty, now that he was clearheaded enough to look at it. Without thinking, his hand reached out to touch, fingers sliding across the goosebumps as Rhys watched him.

“Let me stay the week with you. For your own benefit. Yesterday wasn't even the worst of it. Once you've caught my scent, your rut's going to end up ten times worse without me, and you're going to be in a dangerous spot about halfway through the week if you don't have someone.”

Rhys probably didn't have to stay, Jack thought. Should have left, even, if he had been verbally rejected. Wasn't that company policy, anyways? Jack had already had the funds deducted from his account, he was certain. It was hard not to think about it- Rhys insisting on sticking around, not flinching away from his touch. It had been a while since an omega looked at him with anything but fear, trembling in the presence of Handsome Jack. He couldn't blame them. Building up his image the way he did, designed to drive people away.

It really was lonely at the top, like they said.

“Fine, kitten. Fine.”

-

Jack seemed to appreciate Rhys sticking around, if Rhys had to guess. After coaxing him 'out of his shell', so to speak, there was no stopping him. Jack had kept him nearly bedridden, stuffed with his knot and cum for about three days now- only letting Rhys up to get Jack a cold towel and sustenance. Even those, Jack wasn't happy about- but he let him get up when he needed to, even if he grumbled about it. Jack almost cried once, when Rhys had to shower alone- but his tears were quickly soothed away by a freshly clean omega.

As Rhys quickly discovered, Jack was particularly fixated on breeding. Breeding _him_. The entire week, it seemed, Jack wasn't satisfied, wouldn't calm down until Rhys was knotted and smelled more like Jack than himself. He was on birth control, of course, but he expected Jack was ignoring that for the time being.

"Oh, fuck, Rhys...Rhys...Rh-Rhysie..." Rhys had cringed at the nickname at first, rolling his eyes softly- but it was starting to grow on him. Better that than 'pumpkin', or 'sugar', or whatever else Jack was famous for calling his underlings around Helios.

"J-Jesus christ, Rhysie, fuck you're so good...you'd make such a pretty breeding omega, wouldn't you?" Rhys couldn't respond, losing his mind in Jack's lap, arms around his neck as he bounced vigorously. All he could do was nod obediently, chewing on his lip. "Fuck..." Jack flipped them over on the bed, pinning Rhys under him and lifting his knees up over his shoulders, forcing him into a mating press. Not that Rhys would have objected, but he wouldn't have had much of a choice if he did. Jack was too powerful, still strong from his days of vault hunting, even as the years passed. It was like he was trying to prove something- prove he was stronger than Rhys, maybe, or prove he wasn't too old to breed. Prove he wasn't past his prime yet. Which, Rhys had never once thought he was, the man had only just turned forty something- which, in his personal opinion, was ideal.

“Yeah...fuck, you're going to look so beautiful pregnant...gonna breed you-” He grunted, pressing further on Rhys' legs. “-so fucking good...” Jack was ignoring his birth control, apparently- but if he was honest, Rhys was too. It was nice to forget his place, to pretend he was really getting bred, like his mind and body wanted. The thought was almost enough to send him right over the edge, but Jack wasn't done by a long shot. He wouldn't be done until Rhys was full of his seed, immobile beneath him, with no choice but to stay safe with a warm alpha. Rhys couldn't find it in himself to complain at the idea.

“You need it, don't you?” Jack seemed strained, gritting his teeth as he spoke, putting all his energy into fucking Rhys as hard as he physically could. Rhys was more than appreciative for the effort, tongue lolling out of his mouth as he let Jack breed him. “Need my cock to mmh- make you happy...fuck you full...such a pretty omega...”

“You...you really are, Rhys...” Rhys tilted his head as Jack pumped into him, whimpering softly. “Pretty little omega...” He flushed hard, covering his face with his hands until Jack growled up against his throat. “Prettiest damn thing I've ever seen-fuck...” Rhys was used to thanks and praise from the alphas he'd worked with- but it had been a while since someone called him pretty. Safe under Jack's kneading hands, holding his thighs in place, he smiled up at the alpha. He dug his hands into Jack's shoulders, pulling him closer as the thick knot swelled to it's full size, setting him completely on fire as it filled into the right spots.

“Oh, fuck, fuck yeah, you wanna get fuckin' bred, sugar? Don't you worry, princess. I'll give you _exactly_ what you want-” Jack choked on his breath as he came inside Rhys, growling and dipping his forehead to rest on the younger man's'. Knot finally locked inside, he slowly opened his eyes and tilted his head at Rhys' cock, still hard. Rhys seemed perfectly happy to him, squirming on Jack's knot and feeling the hot seed inside of him- but that wouldn't do. Not for Jack, who could think of nothing but fully pleasing the smaller man beneath him.

Rhys' cock was on the bigger side, for an omega- but still nothing compared to Jack. It fit perfectly in his hand, soft and still wet with precum. Or maybe he'd sucked Rhys off at some point? He couldn't remember, the rut haze clouding his brain. Not that it mattered anyways, what mattered was that his omega- Rhys, was bred and happy and safe. Looking up for a moment at Rhys' blissed out expression, eyes rolling to the back of his head before shutting, it looked like Jack had done his job.

Rhys didn't notice he'd been touched until he felt the large hand on his cock start to move. His back immediately arched off the bed, a small whimper coming out of his throat as Jack's hand slowly jerked him off. He bucked into it as much as he could, biting his lip and whining loud at the pleasure. Jack didn't have to, by any means- Rhys was used to not getting off. But it seemed Jack had his own ideas- that, or his alpha brain had decided that leaving his omega unsatisfied was a crime. Either way, Rhys quietly thanked him with a kiss to the forehead, Jack's eyes still fixed on his own hand working up and down.

It didn't take long for Jack to make Rhys cum, quickly moving his hand to clean up some of the spend to dip into his mouth. Sweet- just like Rhys' skin. Like his scent, too. Everything about Rhys was sweet, from his voice to the look on his face, staring up at Jack with an adoring expression. Adoring, either for Jack, or for an alpha that bred him and kept him happy. If there was a difference, he didn't know if he cared, as he leaned down to kiss Rhys' forehead. Rhys smiled when Jack pulled away, settling into the bed as Jack got comfortable on top of him. His purring vibrated through Jack's chest, soothing him faster to sleep as Rhys dozed off beneath him.

They woke a few hours later, Jack blinking sleepily as he realized that Rhys had been absently stroking his cheek. His scar, specifically, running his thumb along the groove, up to the lower eyelid of his left eye. Jack had spent years trying different lotions to soften his scarred skin, none really working, but as he woke up and watched Rhys' expression, fixed on the ugliest part of him...

It was hard not to feel something.

-

Jack didn't waste their last day in the slightest- even if Rhys thought he did. They only fucked once, sweaty doggy style on the bathroom floor, before stepping into a cool shower together. It had been a long week of exhausting sex, all Jack could think to spend their final day doing was curling up in his bed.

Rhys was more than happy to cuddle up beside Jack, the alpha's chest warm and soothing as he breathed. It was peace, Rhys thought with a gentle smile.

“Hey, uh, Rhys...” Jack reached up to scratch at his neck, feeling at where the edge of his mask should have been. “I hope this wasn't the worst week of your career.”

“Of course not, sir. I legally can't tell you about the worst week, but I promise this was nowhere near it.” They both laughed at that, Jack's hand squeezing around Rhys' shoulder tightly. His fingers dug in a bit, but Rhys didn't care.

Rhys slowly pulled away, reaching for the sweater placed at the foot of the bed. Jack had offered it to him earlier, when he realized Rhys didn't have anything warmer to leave in. Rhys had blushed at the offer, and as he stood to pull the sweater on, he couldn't help but smile at the faded yellow hoodie. It was branded from some Pandoran garage, probably from Jack's vault hunting days. Rhys thought about Jack on Pandora, tearing down everything before him and laying waste to his enemies. He'd fought hard for what he had with Hyperion, no doubt- but Rhys had to wonder if he regretted it, with the scar carved deep into Jack's face.

Watching Rhys' eyes wander over his face, Jack reached up to rub at his scar, fingers grazing along the ridges of it. It had stopped hurting years ago, but feeling it was still a painful reminder. A reminder that he wasn't the same man he was before Moxxi, that letting himself get attached had almost put him six feet under. He thought he'd understood what it meant, to pursue power- but he never could have thought that power would be all he'd have.

Rhys pulled Jack's attention by grabbing his wrist softly, pulling it away from his face and tilting his chin up. They were silent for a moment before Rhys leaned in to capture Jack's lips in a soft kiss, crawling into his lap to tilt his head against Jack's little easier. They leaned back onto the bed, Jack hitting the headboard at Rhys looped his arms around the older man's neck. Jack felt his cock stir in his boxers, making him break the kiss and look away, too tired for another round before Rhys left. The Sugar Skags transport would be there soon for him anyways, Jack thought, disappointed, before realizing that Rhys had just kissed him for the first time.

Rhys smiled and quickly kissed Jack one more time before standing, rubbing his arms to keep warm in the absence of Jack's body heat.  
“I should head downstairs, my ride'll be here soon.”

Jack nodded slowly, looking out the window before back at Rhys. “If I...call again and ask for Rhys, will I get you?”

Rhys shook his head, slowly making his way towards the door. “They can't pair me with you again for another year. Runs the risk of attachment.” He looked down, shuffling his feet and hesitating at the door before he turned to the nightstand and pulled open the drawer, searching through it. Jack raised an eyebrow, turning to face Rhys a little better, when the omega found what he was looking for. A pen.

Jack couldn't see what Rhys was doing, nor what he was writing on, before he blindsided Jack with another fiery kiss and turned to walk out the door. Rhys waved, smiling softly at Jack before ducking out of sight.

The heat of the kiss only offset the pain of being alone again for a moment, before it started to seep back into Jack's veins. Pathetic, he thought, that a whole _week_ being spoiled and smothered by an omega wasn't enough to keep him satisfied for even five minutes. Had years of isolation ruined him, or was it just not enough? Every touch had seared into his skin, the room still an intoxicating scent that should have kept him satisfied for a few hours, at least. If he closed his eyes, he could still feel cool skin on his own, soothing him to rest.

Frustrated, he turned to flop across the bed, huffing and pulling the blankets up with a low grumble before he opened his eyes. The pen was still on the nightstand. Feeling up onto the surface, Jack pushed the pen aside and held up the only thing Rhys could have been writing on. The Sugar Skags business card, hot pink and white, now with a stark black name and number written beside the company emblem. Jack felt himself smile, then laugh at Rhys' note. Rhys had written 'for a good time', with an arrow to the company number, and 'for a better time' with an arrow to his own.

Maybe it was worth getting attached. Maybe it wasn't. But it was too late to deliberate now, he thought, setting the card down and curling back into bed as he buried his nose into the sheets.

**Author's Note:**

> Yes yes, I know, yet another rut fic. There's a gap in the market, and I am going to fill it singlehandedly. Hope you enjoyed, drop by my tumblr @scp116, or leave a comment! Thanks to Loft_Elf for looking over it for me!


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